Washington State requires employers with 15 or more employees to include a wage scale or salary range, a general description of benefits, and a general description of other compensation in covered job postings. The range should reflect the employer's most reasonable and genuinely expected compensation for the job and should not be open-ended. If the employer offers only a fixed wage amount, that fixed amount should be disclosed. Employees offered an internal transfer or promotion can also request the wage scale or salary range for the new position.
Jurisdiction: Washington, United States
Washington Uses a 15-Employee Threshold for Job Posting Transparency
Washington's Equal Pay and Opportunities Act requires employers with 15 or more employees to provide specified compensation information in covered job postings. The rule applies to solicitations intended to recruit applicants for a specific available position, including electronic and printed postings and recruitment performed through a third party. Employers should therefore configure both direct careers pages and external recruiting channels around the same disclosure standard rather than treating third-party postings as outside the compliance process.
Covered Postings Need a Wage Scale or Salary Range
A covered posting must include the wage scale or salary range for the position. Washington L&I explains that the range should represent the employer's most reasonable and genuinely expected compensation for the job at the time of posting. Open-ended formulations such as a minimum followed by 'and up' or a maximum preceded by 'up to' do not provide a complete range. If the employer has not already established a range, L&I guidance says a scale or range should be created before the position is posted.
A Fixed Wage Can Be Disclosed Instead of Creating an Artificial Range
Washington guidance recognizes that some positions are genuinely offered at one fixed rate. If the employer is offering only a fixed wage amount, the posting can disclose that amount rather than inventing a minimum and maximum. This distinction is useful for jobs tied to a set hourly rate, collective bargaining schedule or another fixed compensation structure. Employers should still ensure that any accompanying description of benefits and other compensation is complete enough to satisfy the separate posting requirements.
Benefits and Other Compensation Must Also Be Described
Washington requires more than base pay. Covered postings must include a general description of benefits and a general description of other compensation. L&I identifies benefits such as health care, retirement and paid time off, and identifies other compensation such as bonuses, commissions, profit sharing and stock options. Electronic postings may use a link for more detailed benefit information, but the posting itself still needs the required general description. Employers should therefore treat benefits and variable compensation as required posting fields rather than optional recruitment copy.
Remote and Out-of-State Roles Need a Geographic Coverage Check
Washington L&I states that covered employers must make the required disclosures on postings that recruit Washington-based employees. The agency also explains that jobs performed entirely outside Washington may fall within an out-of-state exception, even if the posting can be viewed from Washington. Employers should not rely solely on where the company is headquartered or where the advertisement is published. The compliance review should identify where the job will actually be performed and whether Washington-based applicants are being recruited for the position.
Internal Transfers and Promotions Create a Separate Disclosure Right
Washington's transparency framework also reaches internal movement. Employers with 15 or more employees must provide the wage scale or salary range of a new position to an employee who is offered an internal transfer or promotion when the employee requests that information. That means compliance cannot be limited to external job advertisements. HR teams should ensure that recruiters, managers and HR business partners know how to respond to internal requests and can access the approved range for the new position.
A Washington Posting Workflow Should Lock the Required Fields Before Publication
The simplest operational control is to prevent a Washington-covered posting from going live until compensation, benefits and other compensation fields are completed and reviewed. The range should be checked for open-ended language, the benefits description should be meaningful, and any third-party recruiter should receive the same approved information. Internal transfer and promotion workflows should also be connected to the compensation system so that a requested range can be supplied quickly. This approach turns the statute into repeatable process controls rather than relying on recruiters to remember the rules manually.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many employees trigger Washington's job posting transparency rule?
Washington L&I states that employers with 15 or more employees are subject to the job posting pay transparency requirements.
Must Washington job postings list benefits?
Yes. Covered postings must include a general description of benefits and a general description of other compensation in addition to the wage scale or salary range.
Can a Washington posting say 'up to $30 per hour'?
Washington L&I guidance says open-ended ranges are not sufficient. The posting should provide the complete wage scale or salary range, unless the employer is offering one fixed wage amount.
Related Guides
Official Sources
Requirements and practices differ by jurisdiction and organisation. Check current local law, official guidance and professional advice for a specific situation.